Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A vehicle that uses one or more battery systems for supporting propulsion, start stop, and/or regenerative braking functions can be referred to as an xEV, where the term “xEV” is defined herein to include all of the below described electrical vehicles, or any variations or combinations thereof.
A “start-stop vehicle” is defined as a vehicle that can disable the combustion engine when the vehicle is stopped and utilize a battery (energy storage) system to continue powering electrical consumers onboard the vehicle, including the entertainment system, navigation, lights, or other electronics, as well as to restart the engine when propulsion is desired. A lack of brake regeneration or electrical propulsion distinguishes a “start-stop vehicle” from other forms of xEVs.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) combine an internal combustion engine (ICE) propulsion system and a battery-powered electric propulsion system, such as 48 volt, 130 volt, or 300 volt systems. The term HEV may include any variation of a hybrid electric vehicle, in which features such as brake regeneration, electrical propulsion, and stop-start are included.
A specific type of xEV is a micro-hybrid vehicle (“mHEV” or “micro-HEV”). Micro-HEV vehicles typically operate at low voltage, which is defined to be under 60V. Micro-HEV vehicles typically provide start stop, and distinguish themselves from “start-stop vehicles” through their use of brake regeneration. The brake regeneration power can typically range from 2 kW to 12 kW at peak, although other values can occur as well. A Micro-HEV vehicle can also provide some degree of electrical propulsion to the vehicle. If available, the amount of propulsion will not typically be sufficient to provide full motive force to the vehicle.
Full hybrid systems (FHEVs) and Mild hybrid systems (Mild-HEVs) may provide motive and other electrical power to the vehicle using one or more electric motors, using only an ICE, or using both. FHEVs are typically high-voltage (>60V), and are usually between 200V and 400V. Mild-HEVs typically operate between 60V and 200V. Depending on the size of the vehicle, a Mild-HEV can provide between 10-20 kW of brake regeneration or propulsion, while a FHEV provides 15-100 kW. The Mild-HEV system may also apply some level of power assist, during acceleration for example, to supplement the ICE, while the FHEV can often use the electrical motor as the sole source of propulsion for short periods, and in general uses the electrical motor as a more significant source of propulsion than does a Mild-HEV.
In addition, a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any vehicle that can be charged from an external source of electricity, such as wall sockets, and the energy stored in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes to drive the wheels. PEVs are a subcategory of xEV that include all-electric or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and electric vehicle conversions of hybrid electric vehicles and conventional ICE vehicles. BEVs are driven entirely by electric power and lack an internal combustion engine. PHEVs have an internal combustion engine and a source of electric motive power, with the electric motive power capable of providing all or nearly all of the vehicle's propulsion needs. PHEVs can utilize one or more of a pure electric mode (“EV mode”), a pure internal combustion mode, and a hybrid mode.
xEVs as described above may provide a number of advantages as compared to more traditional gas-powered vehicles using only ICEs and traditional electrical systems, which are typically 12 volt systems powered by a lead acid battery. For example, xEVs may produce fewer undesirable emission products and may exhibit greater fuel efficiency as compared to traditional vehicles and, in some cases, such xEVs may eliminate the use of gasoline entirely, as is the case of certain types of BEVs.
As xEV technology continues to evolve, there is a need to provide improved power sources (e.g., battery systems or modules) for such vehicles. For example, it is desirable to increase the distance that such vehicles may travel without the need to recharge the batteries. Additionally, it may also be desirable to improve the performance of such batteries and to reduce the cost associated with the battery systems.
Conventional xEVs have been found to be functionally limited by their electric energy systems that supply power to their electric motor/generator and vehicle accessories. Typically, an electric motor is powered by an energy source that needs to store energy suitable for high-power discharges as well as for electric demands generated by various driving conditions.
Various configurations of battery packs are known for housing a plurality of energy-storing cells. Typically, the cells are fitted internally into containers, such as cell canisters. In addition to cell canisters, typical battery packs include a plurality of cells that can be arranged into one or more modules, cooling apparatus, electrical connection system, and electronic circuitry. Battery packaging materials may include battery pack enclosure and module containers. The electrical connection system may include bus bars. The electronic circuitry may include traceboards, cell supervisory controllers, and battery management system. The cooling apparatus, if included, may include one or more cooling channels, a thermal plate or fins, and a fan.
Moreover, a rechargeable battery pack may include a plurality of sensing units, each of which may be coupled to a set of cells, and configured to monitor conditions of the corresponding set of cells. However, conditions of a cell or of a set of cells that are not coupled to a sensing unit are as a result not known. There is a great deal of information that can be gleaned from batteries, such as current, voltage, and temperatures, that can be used to improve the function of the battery pack. However, sensors can be costly, and a common design tradeoff involves the removal of sensors, even though the sensors in question might be beneficial to operation.
Therefore, there exists a need for a battery pack that can provide information regarding conditions of cells including those that have missing or failed sensing units.